The Life of the People

14th and 15th century Europe

14th c. Europe

• 14th c. Europe was marked by much destruction– Plague, Hundred Years’ War– Led to frustration: crime, revolts– The parish church and marriage

remained center of family life

Marriage Practices• Because peasants were illiterate (couldn’t read

or write), little was known about their marriage practices

• Historians believe that marriage was an important part of peasant life for economic reasons– Women were often pregnant on wedding day to

assure the marriage would produce kids (kids helped make family money)

• Marriages were commonly arranged if property was involved– Couple would be from the same village– Lord would be paid for the loss of the worker

Marriage Practices, cont.

• Age–Women were young when they married

(12-20 yrs)–Men were older (mid-late 20s); needed

to prove their earning ability– Poor peasants: mid-late 20s

Prostitution

• Prostitution rose with men marrying later

• Brothels (houses of prostitution) became popular and common.– Legalized and policed by governments

Economic Factors

• People married for economic factors rather than love

• Economic factors determined whom and when you married–Men had to wait for their fathers to die

to inherit property

Children and the Family Structure

• Later marriage determined how many children a couple had

• Emotional bonds would form in families with the support of the church

• Divorce did not exist• Validity of marriage was crucial–Must have a witness– Annulments granted in rare cases

Parish Life

• Parish: Your church community/district• The land and the parish was important

in Medieval Europe– Priest blessed the fields/harvest

• Guilds: Union of skilled workers in the parish– Offered job opportunities other than farming– Guilds tough to get into: required skill and

was highly political

Parish Life, Cont.

• Socialization– Criminal hangings– Animal blood sports– Drunkenness

• Church members took control of maintaining the church buildings and social functions

Frustration Leads to Revolts

• Noble (lords) abuses of peasants were common– Nobles wanted to maintain lavish lifestyle

even if no money to do so– Fur Collar Crime: Nobles robbed and harassed

the peasants• Stories like Robin Hood became popular during this

time

• The economic and social frustrations of the peasants would lead them to revolt against the nobles and social structure

Peasant Revolts

• Peasants Revolts throughout Europe– Peasants were overly taxed to pay for Hundred

Years’ War– Flanders, France, England– Jacquerie rebellion in France

• Race Relations– To escape economic troubles, many Europeans

migrated to new areas– Ethnic tensions rose in these areas as laws

were not equally applied to all people; economic competition, etc.

Vernacular Literature

• A variety of languages and dialects were spoken throughout Europe– Official documents and church services, however, might

be provided in Latin– Many people did not understand Latin– Vernacular: language of the people– Authors like Dante, Chaucer, and Villion wrote in the

vernacular and commented on Church/social/economic frustrations in their stories

• Historians believe there was an increase in literacy of the laypeople (commoners) in the late 14th century– We have more written records– Society is shifting from oral traditions